


This Will End Well

by givemesumaurgravy



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alcohol, Canon Divergence - Post-Avengers (2012), Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, First Meetings, Hand Jobs, Injury, M/M, Making-out, Non-Super Bucky Barnes, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sharing a Bed, Steve Rogers is Awkward, fake dating au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-02-08 09:04:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21473491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/givemesumaurgravy/pseuds/givemesumaurgravy
Summary: The one where Captain America requires a fake boyfriend.Enter: Bucky Barnes, ex Army sniper turned part-time undercover agent, full time cat dad.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 53
Kudos: 503
Collections: Stucky: Canon Divergence, StuckyAUs





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (The title is supposed to be read in your most sarcastic of voices, but if you know me at all, there will be a happy ending)
> 
> Sadly, you won't get to meet Bucky in this first chapter yet, but I hope the setting of the ground work is entertaining for you :)
> 
> also, see if you can catch the reference to the very best words to ever come out of Harry Styles’ mouth. 
> 
> enjoy!

For typically being a very patient man, Steve is about to absolutely lose is shit. 

It was one thing when Tony made his comments because it’s _ Tony. _ He has no filter and for being a self-proclaimed narcissist, actually does manage to get all up in everyone else’s business quite often. Steve’s come to expect his interference in his personal life. 

But then there’s Natasha, and now she’s joined forces with Pepper and Maria. 

For some ungodly reason, the three have gotten it in their minds that Steve needs a special someone in his life, despite his many attempts to convince them otherwise. He has all the solid excuses: his lifestyle doesn’t exactly lend itself to great boyfriend material, it’s near impossible to find anyone with shared life experiences, and finally, he doesn’t even really know how to date in this day and age _ (to which Natasha replied, ‘there’s no time like the present to learn! You’re not getting any younger, Steve.’). _

It all comes to a head when most of the Avengers are hanging out at The Tower after a particularly exhausting mission. Everyone made it out with only minor scrapes and bruises, but it was still a long and tiring run. 

Thor has brought out his Asgardian mead, thought Bruce had attempted to ban it after a not so positive experience with it at last year’s Christmas party. Steve doesn’t usually partake, but seeing as Natasha, Pepper, and Maria have decided to plant themselves next to him on the couch and they’re looking particularly conspiratorial today, he chooses it as his only hope for his sanity. 

“So, Steve, really,” Natasha says. “It’s about damn time you just give it up and tell us what your type is.”

“Um, no,” Steve says, cupping his tumbler of whiskey protectively to his chest. 

Sam, who is sitting on Steve’s other side and is now a few beers deep, pipes up helpfully. “Oh, man, I’m so in. How about I start listing characteristics, and you can tell us if they’re important to you or not.”

“How about no,” Steve says with about as much sass as he can muster. 

At this point, they’ve gained the attention of the rest of the room, and though Steve would consider everyone in this room good friends, he’s starting to seriously reconsider that because they all seem way too interested in making him as uncomfortable as possible right now.

“Smart,” Sam says, grinning innocently. 

Steve narrows his eyes at him, but he figures he might as well give in because if he doesn’t, judging by the eager look on Tony’s face, he’s going to jump in next, and the chances of it remaining PG will plummet drastically.

“Sure, Sam,” Steve says. “That’s important.”

“Funny,” Sam adds, still grinning. 

“Sure,” Steve says.

“You’re making it too simple!” Tony protests, stepping away from the bar and coming closer to the group. 

“No,” Sam says. “Saying ‘female’ would be making too simple.”

“Not that important,” Steve mutters, though he should have known, in a room full of supers, someone was bound to hear him.

Sure enough, everyone in the room goes silent.

“I’m sorry, come again?” Natasha says, eyes narrowed as she scrutinizes Steve.

“What?” Thor says. “Is gender something you people on Earth care about? Let me tell you, on Asgard, even from a young age, we are encouraged to explore relationships with anyone. It basically doubles the chances of finding the person you’re meant to be with!”

Everyone had turned their attention to Thor as he spoke, but when he just shrugged at the end and finished off his cup, their attention slides back to Steve. 

This wasn’t exactly something Steve really thought about opening up about specifically, though it’s something he’s always known about himself. It has been a nice surprise when Steve woke up from the ice that same-sex marriage was more accepted than in the forties, and now it’s even legal. 

“So, how do I say this,” Natasha asks slowly, “Is the reason you’ve turned down every girl we’ve tried to set you up with because she’s… a woman?”

“No,” Steve says, looking at her tiredly. “The reason I keep shutting it down is because I really don’t want to date _ anyone.” _

“Man or woman?” Pepper asks and Steve nods.

“Man or woman,” Steve says. 

“Oh my God,” Peter pipes up from the back, and honestly, Steve had forgotten he was even there. “Captain America is the Bi-King I never knew I needed!”

That makes everyone break out in laughter and any leftover tension in the room dissipates. Steve hopes that this is the end of it now, but at this point, he really should have known better. 

** ~*~*~ **

“Hey, Steve,” Sam says a bit sheepishly as he comes into Steve’s apartment the next day.

“Hey,” Steve says, still a little miffed at Sam for his role in last night’s gang-up.

“So, I wanted to talk to you about last night,” Sam says and Steve can tell by the look on his face he feels a little guilty for his involvement.

“It’s fine, Sam,” Steve says. 

“No, it’s not that,” Sam says. “I… I think I have an idea.”

“This can’t be good,” Steve teases and Sam shoots him a glare. 

“I’m serious,” Sam says. “If you’re really tired of the girls trying to set you up, why not find someone to date?”

“But I don’t _ want to _ date anyone,” Steve says. “That’s the whole point.”

“That’s not what I mean,” Sam says. “What I’m trying to say is, what about finding someone to _ act _ as your significant other to get the girls off your back, but you’re not actually dating them.”

“Like a fake relationship?” Steve says because he’s seen this in movies and it always seems like a great idea, until someone catches feelings, and Steve says as much to Sam.

Sam shakes his head and says, “I have the perfect guy in mind. I met him at the VA, and it’s basically his job to do undercover work like this. He’s a professional, so there’s little chance of him falling for you, and as you’ve pointed out many times now, you’re not looking to get attached. It’s perfect!”

“I don’t know, Sam,” Steve says. 

“At least meet the guy,” Sam says. “I think you’ll get along nicely, if anything.”

“Fine,” Steve says. “What’s his name?”

“James,” Sam says. “But he goes by Bucky.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's a scene in this chapter taken from The Destroyer and merged with a scene from CATWS, you'll know it when you see it and credit goes to the writers of those films :)
> 
> Things are starting to heat up a little, so I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Steve works it out with Sam that he will meet Bucky at a rather inconspicuous bar in Brooklyn the following Thursday evening. Steve would like to think that he’s pretty calm, cool, and collected about the whole thing, but the truth is he’s changed his shirt three times and given himself a pep talk in the mirror. Twice.

Sam’s showed Steve a few pictures at this point, so at least Steve knows who he’s looking for. He gets to the bar early, wanting to claim a place open enough where Bucky will be able to see him, but secluded enough where no one will potentially bother them. 

Steve ends up in a booth towards the back corner and he settles in facing the front. He had debated waiting to get anything to drink until Bucky got there, but by the time Steve arrived at the bar, he had worked himself into quite the state and decided he needed something to take the edge off, even though alcohol has no true effect on him anymore, he’s mostly just hoping for a placebo effect. 

So here Steve sits, nursing a beer as he waits for a complete stranger to come in and pretend to be his boyfriend. This, Steve thinks sarcastically, is what he came out of the ice for. 

Bucky saunters in right at eight and Steve definitely does _ not _ wave obnoxiously at him to get his attention. Bucky gives him the most casual nod and then makes his way over to Steve. As Steve watches Bucky make his way towards him, he starts to wonder what exactly is the appropriate greeting here? Are they supposed to hug? Shake hands? Salute?

Thankfully, Bucky solves the issue by just sitting down and acting like this is the most casual thing ever. Steve on the other hand, is anything but casual.

“Um, hi,” Steve says, waving awkwardly and nearly tipping over his beer. “Thank you for um, for meeting me. And for, you know, doing this.”

“No problem,” Bucky says. “I’m going to get a beer. Want anything?”

“I’m good,” Steve says, lifting his bottle he now has clutched in a death grip. 

Bucky nods and gets up, leaving Steve alone with his quickly spiraling thoughts. This is definitely awkward, though from what Steve can tell, Bucky doesn’t feel the same way. He’s all calm, cool, and collected, everything Steve wants to be and everything Steve, or more so _ Captain America _ is _ supposed to _ be. 

Bucky rejoins him, beer in hand, and takes a long pull from the bottle when he sits down. After Bucky sets the bottle down on the table top, he gives Steve a long once over.

“So, Sam tells me you need a boyfriend,” Bucky says. 

“Well, not exactly,” Steve says. “I just need someone to _ pretend _ to be my boyfriend to get my friends to stop setting me up on terrible blind dates.”

“Okay, got it,” Bucky says, expression still unreadable. “I’m not entirely sure what Sam’s shared with you, but since I’ve gotten out of the army, I’ve become a police officer and work mostly undercover ops. I’m pretty good at becoming whatever I’m needed to be.”

“That’s… good to know,” Steve says. 

“Should we discuss terms?” Bucky says, all business.

“Uh, sure,” Steve says and rubs his fingertips over his forehead. “I would mostly just need you to come to a few social events with me, just for my friends to see that I’m not making you up.”

Steve laughs at himself and Bucky thankfully cracks a little smile, but it’s gone just as quick as it came. Steve occupies himself with taking another drink of his beer, the cold liquid calming him a little bit more. 

“I don’t exactly have a timeline here,” Steve says, “But I suppose we just continue on until we don’t want to anymore? I don’t really know. I think eventually the girls will move on and not be so invested in my personal life, and then we can quietly go our separate ways.”

“Works for me,” Bucky says. “I mean, who wouldn’t want to be Captain America’s secret boyfriend?”

Steve stares at Bucky, trying to figure out if he’s joking or not, but then Bucky cracks a smile and Steve laughs a bit shakily. 

“You need to relax, Steve, I’m fucking with you,” Bucky says and takes a long sip of his beer. 

They relax into a comfortable quiet for a few minutes before Steve remembers another important detail they need to work out. 

“So what’s our story going to be? How did we meet?” Steve asks.

“We could say you saved my cat from a tree,” Bucky offers. “I even have a cat to keep it believable. He’s a mischievous little shit, so the likelihood of him actually getting stuck up a tree is pretty high.”

“Okay…” Steve says, “I suppose that could work.”

“Or we go with a more casual meeting. Let’s say we were at a bar and I shouted ‘who put on this 1930s jazz shit?’ You turned around, broad shoulders set and confessed you did. I took one admittedly long look at you and said, ‘damn, well I suppose America’s ass can be forgiven’.”

“I don’t think I’m totally comfortable with our meet cute involving you blatantly objectifying me, so I’m going to have to go with the first one,” Steve says as seriously as he can manage. 

Bucky eyes Steve in a way that can really only be described as _ leering _ as he brings his beer bottle back up to his lips. Bucky takes a slow drink and then sets his bottle down and leans over the table, elbows set on the less than clean tabletop. 

“Alright kiss me,” Bucky says. 

“What? Why?” Steve splutters, completely caught off guard. 

“So I know,” Bucky shrugs. “I don't want to look surprised the first time it happens in public.” 

Steve rolls his eyes, trying to play cool, thought that’s never a word used to describe Steve Rogers. Bucky continues to stare at him, and it’s really starting to unnerve Steve. 

“Dead serious,” Bucky says and sets his mouth in a tight line.

Before Steve can think twice about it, he stands up as much as he can in the booth and stretches over the table, right hand reaching to grip the back of Bucky’s warm neck. Steve guides their mouths together in a firm press, anxiety swirling in his chest until Bucky relaxes into it and kisses him back.

It’s short and a bit too dry, but it’s not a bad first kiss. Bucky has nice lips, Steve decides, and if he’s going to have to kiss him a few dozen times, it’s definitely not going to be the worst thing ever. 

Steve pulls away and settles back against his seat, watching Bucky carefully as he nods and says, “Okay. Got it.”

“You think you can fake liking that?” Steve says on a whim of bravery. 

“Probably, yeah,” Bucky says with a nod and that makes Steve chuckle. 

They fall into a short silence as Steve picks at the label on his bottle and Bucky scratches his short beard. Steve starts chewing on his lip absently as he tries not to let anything stupid fall out of his mouth. Turns out, it’s Bucky’s turn to say something stupid.

“Was that your first kiss since 1945?” Bucky asks. 

“That bad, huh?” Steve asks, embarrassment settling hot and thick in his stomach.

“I didn’t say that,” Bucky says, shaking his head.

“Well, it kind of sounds like that’s what you’re saying,” Steve says quietly.

“No, I didn’t. I just wondered how much practice you had,” Bucky says with a casual shrug.

“I don’t need practice,” Steve says defiantly, though he doesn’t totally believe the words.

“Everybody needs practice,” Bucky says and Steve narrows his eyes at him.

“It was not my first kiss since 1945. I’m 95, not dead,” Steve says with an air of finality he hopes gives off the meaning that he’s done with this line of conversation.

Bucky nods and then finishes off his beer, setting it back on the tabletop with a thud. “So, Rogers, how does Captain America feel about switching to something a little stronger?”

Steve watches Bucky for a moment, and when Bucky finally gives him a soft smile, Steve smiles back and nods. “That sounds like a solid plan.”

Bucky’s smile melts into a wider grin and he pats the table in a decisive way before standing up and heading back to the bar. He didn’t invite Steve to come with, so Steve decides to hold down the fort and waits for Bucky to return with two glass tumblers of amber colored liquid. 

“Cheers,” Bucky says, raising his glass and holding it for Steve to toast. 

“Cheers,” Steve repeats and clinks his glass gently against Bucky’s. 

They both take a sip at the same time, and Steve recognizes the familiar burn of scotch. It’s not entirely unpleasant, and Steve can appreciate the smoky aftertaste. After sip number two, Steve can finally feel himself starting to relax. 

They pass two hours chatting and it’s comforting to realize how much Steve actually has in common with Bucky. They don’t go into detail about the time that either of them served in the military, it’s still too fresh for both of them, but it’s nice to talk with someone that understands. 

The one thing Bucky does open up about is losing his arm and how that lead to him being discharged and joining the police after he had a prosthetic made through a Wounded Warriors Project with Stark Industries. 

Steve makes a mental note to use this little tidbit when Bucky meets Tony and Steve needs to inevitably redirect the conversation to something more PG. 

Eventually the bar fills with the college-age crowd, so Bucky and Steve decide to head out. They bid their good-byes on the sidewalk outside the bar with Steve hesitating for a moment before Bucky chuckles and pulls him in for a hug. 

“We’ll have to work on getting more natural at that,” Bucky says against Steve’s ear, his breath hot and sending a shiver down Steve’s spine, and Steve tells himself it’s just from the proximity. 

“Right,” Steve says awkwardly and pulls away. “I’ll text you.”

“You’ll need my number for that,” Bucky says and then pulls his phone from his pocket, handing it to Steve. 

“Right,” Steve says again and then hastily types in his number and sending a quick text to himself so he has Bucky’s number, too.

“This is going to be fun,” Bucky says with a mischievous grin when Steve hands him back his phone. “Way more entertaining than undercover drug busts. And probably safer. My ma will be so happy.”

“You haven’t met my friends yet,” Steve jokes and Bucky laughs.

“That’s true,” Bucky says. “I’ll see you around.”

“Bye,” Steve says and pulls Bucky into another hug, going for something more natural this time and he thinks he’s successful from the way Bucky relaxes against him.

“That was better,” Bucky says as he pulls away and then turns to the street. “There’s my ride. See you.”

Steve watches and waves as Bucky gets into his Uber then heads to his bike that he parked down the street. Steve’s not drunk, not even a little buzzed and hasn’t been since he got the serum, but he does feel giddy and different than he remembers feeling in a long time. 

As Steve hops on his bike and starts to ride through the streets back home, he can’t help but think that meeting Bucky might be the best thing that’s happened to him since he was rescued from the ice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, let me know what you think and if you have any predictions!
> 
> <3


	3. Chapter 3

The next time Steve sees Bucky, it’s for a party at The Tower. It’s some gala that Steve’s sure Pepper is making Tony host, but they all play along nicely anyways because they love Pepper. 

Bucky meets Steve at a hotel down the street so they can arrive together. Steve can’t help but notice how nice Bucky looks in a tux, and he says as much, blush coloring his cheeks. 

“You clean up pretty well yourself,” Bucky says, taking the compliment in stride and then taking Steve’s hand. “Let’s go. I’m kind of dying to find out what the inside of The Avenger’s Tower looks like.” 

Steve chuckles at that and leads Bucky out to the car that’s waiting for them. They ride in silence, Steve working through every potentially embarrassing scenario that could happen in his head. 

Bucky’s hand is still warm and settling in his, and Steve uses it to ground himself and try not to work himself up too much. 

When they pull up, they’re greeted by ushers who guide them to the elevator as if Steve hadn’t already been here dozens of times. The elevator tennant takes them up to the top floor where the party is being held, and Steve watches Bucky as the floor numbers increase, excitement and anticipation clear on his face. 

As they creep even closer to their destination, Steve turns to fully face Bucky and says, “Before we do this, I feel like I should warn you…” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Bucky says, cutting Steve off. “I can handle it. I don’t want you to give me any preconceived notions about your friends. I want to meet them with an open mind.” 

“That’s… okay,” Steve says. “I appreciate that, I suppose.”

“We’ve got this,” Bucky says, squeezing Steve’s hand and giving him a glowing smile.

The elevator doors open before Steve can do anything stupid, like kiss Bucky, because, yeah, that would be stupid. Probably.

Despite Steve having been in this very room dozens of times, it still manages to take his breath away when he sees the room done up to the nines. Pepper’s really outdone herself this time. The theme is Roaring 20s, an homage to the new year as well as Pepper’s favorite decade, apparently. (Steve doesn’t tell her it really wasn’t that great of a time for everyone, but oh well).

Steve guides Bucky into the crowd, doing his part by greeting each person they pass. Steve’s quickly learned that while he doesn’t know most people at these things, they definitely all know him and it’s best to just put on a friendly face and roll with it. 

Bucky still hasn’t removed his hand from Steve’s, and Steve finds the solid warmth of it is unimaginably centering.

Steve finally spots a familiar face and makes a beeline for Sam. He’s with Riley and the two are looking incredibly cozy in a corner, completely unbothered by the crowds around them. 

“Hey, Sam,” Steve says inserting himself into their happy little bubble.

“Hey, man! You’ve finally made it!” Sam says and offers Steve a slap on the shoulder. “I was starting to worry.”

“No you weren’t,” Riley says and then offers his hand to Bucky. “Hi, I’m Riley.”

“Bucky,” Bucky says, removing his hand from Steve’s to shake Riley’s. 

“Ah,so _ this _ is Bucky,” Riley says, giving Bucky a long once-over. “Excellent work, babe.”

Sam chuckles and Steve feels his cheeks start to flame. He’s not entirely sure how much Riley knows about the whole situation, but he can guess Sam’s pretty much told him the whole truth. 

“Don’t worry, Cap,” Sam says. “He knows to keep what he knows to himself.”

“Who would have known all that military training on keeping secrets would come in more handy back in civilian life than it ever did when I was deployed,” Riley jokes and Steve laughs along good naturedly. 

“I know what you mean,” Bucky chimes in and then takes a glance around the room, effectively saying _ let’s change the subject, _ without needing to verbally. 

“Have you seen Nat yet?” Steve says, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Or Thor? I could really go for some of that Asgardian mead.”

“Thor’s not here yet, but you know how how inter-realm travel is,” Sam says with a shrug. “Natasha’s over there by the bar with Bruce, if you’re feeling ready to rip off the bandaid.”

“Great,” Steve says. “Maybe I should find Pepper first. You know, get a trial run in before I go to the big guns.”

“Might be a good idea,” Sam says. “Good luck.”

“Ready?” Steve asks, turning to Bucky.

Bucky smiles warmly at him and then offers his hand to Steve again. “Let’s do this.”

Steve grins and he finds himself fighting the urge to kiss Bucky for the second time tonight. He distracts himself by looking for Pepper and he spots her over by the large windows talking to a server. 

Steve guides Bucky through the crowd again, eyes set straight ahead, hoping no one stops them and derails their little mission. They successfully make it across the room, Steve even managing to snag two flutes of champagne for them without a hitch.

“Pepper, this party is amazing, as usual,” Steve gushes in greeting and Pepper pulls him into a hug. 

“Thank you, Steve,” Pepper says. “You haven’t seen Tony, have you?” 

Pepper’s words trail off as her eyes slide over to Bucky and then down to his hand still clasped in Steve’s.

“Um, no, I haven’t seen Tony, I can try calling him if you’d like,” Steve says, shuffling on his feet as he tries to keep on that line of conversation, but knows by the look in Pepper’s eyes that it’s futile. 

“Nevermind that, who is this?” Pepper says, extending her hand to Bucky.

“James Barnes,” Bucky says. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Bucky drops Steve’s hand to take Pepper’s and shake it firmly. Steve watches Pepper basically swoon when Bucky flashes her a bright smile and Steve can’t help but think that this was actually a pretty brilliant idea. 

But then Steve’s opening his mouth and flushes all that charm and poise down the drain as he mumbles, “Bucky’s my, um, boyfriend.”

“Oh, really?” Pepper says, perfect eyebrow arching up. “How am I just hearing about this now, hm?”

“It’s relatively new,” Bucky says, clearly understanding that he’s the more eloquent one of the pair and should probably do most of the talking. “We only just met a few weeks ago.”

“And how did you two meet?” Pepper says. “Steve is a bit of a recluse.”

“Hey!” Steve protests, but he knows it’s true.

Pepper just fixes him with a look and he goes back to being a silent participant in the conversation. Bucky leans into Steve sympathetically and the body warmth manages to calm Steve. 

“I have a cat, Alpine, mischievous little thing, and she managed to get herself stuck up in a tree. Steve was thankfully out on one of his morning runs and stopped to help,” Bucky says. “Even mid workout this one can’t seem to stop himself from doing the right thing.”

Bucky looks at Steve and the enamored look appears so genuine that it actually catches Steve off guard for a moment. 

“I asked Steve for coffee to thank him and pretty much wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Bucky says with a laugh.

“We I’ll be damned,” Pepper says and Steve is a bit taken aback by hearing someone always so poised curse. “Who would have thought you’d meet someone all on your own, just by being yourself.”

“Isn’t that kind of what everyone wants?” Steve finally cuts in. “Call me old-fashioned, which for obvious reasons I suppose I am, but this has kind of been my point all along. I want someone to like me for me and to have it not be so forced.

“Well, I’m happy for you, Steve, really,” Pepper says. “Have you talked to Natasha yet? She’s going to be jealous that I got to meet him first.”

Steve follows Pepper’s gaze when she glances away from them towards the bar, and Steve knows Natasha is staring them down before his eyes land on her. 

“I suppose we’re going to go talk to her now,” Steve says and sets his shoulders. “See you later, Pepper.” 

Pepper gives Steve another hug and Bucky leans in to give her one as well, not a single ounce of awkward on him. Steve can’t help but notice how perfectly everything is going, but that can all change in a second now that Natasha has locked her sights on them.

They make their way over to Natasha and the moment they’re within earshot, Natasha says, “Steve I cannot believe you didn’t tell me you were bringing a date.”

“Um, I’m sorry. I wanted it to be a surprise?” Steve says, shrugging. 

“Well, are you going to introduce us?” Natasha says, turning on her indisputable charm. 

“Natasha, Bucky, Bucky, Natasha,” Steve says gesturing between them.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Bucky says. “I’ve always been a bit of a fan of yours.”

“Aren’t you sweet,” Natasha says. “Has this been going on long?”

“Just a few weeks,” Bucky says and then breaks into the story of how they met. 

Steve watches Natasha carefully as Bucky talks, watching for any miniscule clue that she’s not buying it, though the chances of Natasha giving anything away ever is as close to zero as you can get. 

“Well I’m happy that Steve’s found someone to share his time with,” Natasha says. “It’s hard in our line of work to find someone who understands.”

“I’m retired military,” Bucky says. “So I definitely understand.”

Natasha gives Steve a knowing look and says, “Steve’s always said he needs someone with shared life experience.”

Steve gives her tight smile and then spots Tony headed their way. Natasha follows his gaze and then smirks. 

“You really are going full rip off the bandaid and getting all the awkward first meetings done in one night, aren’t you?” Natasha says. 

“Yep,” Steve says and sighs. “Probably not my smartest idea.”

“Eh, it’s definitely a hundred or so steps above that time you went into the Hydra base with no back up,” Natasha says with a shrug and then downs her class and sets it on the bar with an air of finality. “Have fun.”

Natasha slips away then just as Tony steps into their space. 

“Good evening, Cap, “Tony says. “And who might this be?”

“Bucky Barnes,” Bucky says, holding out his hand for Tony to shake. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Tony quirks up and eyebrow and so Steve supplies, “Bucky was a participant in your Wounded Warriors Project a few years ago.”

“Oh, of course!” Tony says. “May I?”

Steve thinks it’s a bit forward, but for Tony, it’s right on point. Bucky rolls with it, holding out his prosthetic arm and letting Tony admire it. Tony turns the hand over, feeling up Bucky’s arm over his suit and nods appreciatively.

“I’ll admit that project was one of my favorites. Really made me feel like I was doing something good, you know?” Tony says. “You’ll have to come by the lab sometime and I can personally do a check up and see if there are any upgrades I can give you.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Bucky says instead and Tony waves him off. 

“Nonsense,” Tony says. “Any friend of Steve’s is a friend of mine.”

“Pepper was looking for you,” Steve says as their conversation lulls in an attempt to get Tony to move on.

“Ah, yes,” Tony says. “I suppose I should go check in on the missus. It was lovely meeting you, Mr. Barnes, and Steve, if you two would like to spend the night here tonight, just let me know. I’ll have Jarvis make the arrangements.”

“That, um, won’t be necessary,” Steve says, hoping the way he’s blushing doesn’t give him away, but he knows it does when Tony pauses, a shit-eating look on his face.

“You mean you don’t want to stay together in one of the luxury suites Pepper’s slaved over all week?” Tony says and Steve wishes he could rewind and just accept Tony’s offer. “And why, pray tell, would that be?”

Steve fish mouths for a moment and Bucky looks to him like he wants to help, but he’s not entirely sure what’s happening. 

“Could it be that you two have not been intimate yet?” Tony asks and if Steve would give anything to get out of this conversation, so he decides to just bite the bullet and get it over with.

“No, we haven’t, not that it’s any of your business Tony,” Steve says and he feels Bucky’s fingers curl around his, comforting him.

Tony grins and then picks up the glass of scotch that magically appeared in front of him on the counter. “Well, no time like the present, is there?”

And then he’s off, leaving Steve an angry, embarrassed mess.

“I don’t know why he’s like that,” Steve says. “I’m sorry, Bucky. That was really uncomfortable.”

“It’s okay, Steve, really,” Bucky says. “It takes more than a little sex talk with a stranger to rattle me.”

Bucky smiles at Steve and it’s so genuine that Steve actually has to bite his tongue to keep from leaning in and kissing that stupid grin off Bucky’s face. 

“Now, is there anyone else here that you’d like to show me off to or can we get a drink and start really enjoying ourselves?” Bucky says and Steve feels the last bit of anxiety melt away. 

They order some drinks and then sneak off to a private corner on the balcony just to talk and enjoy each other’s company. It’s so easy with Bucky, Steve finds, that he forgets this is all for show. Maybe when this is all done he and Bucky can stay friends. 

Because even though this is only their second time hanging out, Steve thinks he won’t be able to just go back to his normal life when it’s over and forget about Bucky Barnes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow it's been a while hasn't it? 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this update and that the next one will happen a bit faster :)
> 
> let me know what you thought and if you have any predictions/requests for this fic!
> 
> next chapter is probably my favorite, so get excited for that!


	4. Chapter 4

Steve’s completely exhausted when he finally gets home and the last thing he expects is to see Bucky standing outside his apartment door. 

“What are you doing here?” Steve asks, a twinge of annoyance seeping into his voice. 

“I thought we were supposed to go out for drinks with your friends?” Bucky says. “When you didn’t respond to my messages I asked Sam for your address.”

“I’m sorry,” Steve says, deflating. “I got called in on a last minute mission. I completely forgot.”

It’s been a few weeks since the party and things have been going well. Bucky’s accompanied Steve to a few dinners and other outings with his friends, and even Steve is starting to be convinced that Bucky is actually his boyfriend. 

Bucky steps aside as Steve moves to unlock his door. Steve steps into his apartment after he gets the door open and holds it for Bucky to follow after him. Steve flicks on the light and then slumps down in one of his kitchen chairs, dropping his shield carelessly onto the floor. 

“You realize you’re bleeding, right?” Bucky asks, gesturing to Steve’s side. 

Steve glances down and sees the red soaking through his Captain America uniform. He vaguely recalls getting shot at, but in the midst of everything, he didn’t pay it much attention. The wound throbs a bit now that the adrenaline is wearing off.

“Do you have a first aid kit or something?” Bucky asks and Steve waves vaguely to one of his kitchen cabinets. 

Bucky moves to find the kit and then also wets one of Steve’s kitchen towels. Steve watches him as Bucky seems to slide effortlessly into Nurse Mode. 

“Can you get out of that?” Bucky says, waving with his hand to Steve’s tight and completely soiled uniform. 

“Um. Yes?” Steve says, though his aching limbs make no effort to do so.

“Should I… can I help?” Bucky says, posture awkwardly stiff. 

“I think I can manage,” Steve says and finally gets up and starts removing the uniform. 

It’s always been a bit of a process to get in and out of the Captain America ensemble, even without injury. As Steve shimmies out of the tight material, he starts to take stock of his injuries. He’s pretty sure he’s got a few broken ribs in addition to the bullet wound and a few deep cuts on his thigh and right arm. 

“Jesus. You look like hell,” Bucky gasps when Steve gets down to his briefs. 

“Thank you. That’s usually the reaction I look for when I first get naked in front of someone,” Steve says wryly and Bucky winces. 

“That’s not… I just meant…” Bucky says and Steve smiles at finally being able to fluster Bucky. “I just meant that you’re pretty beat up.”

“I’ve had worse,” Steve shrugs. “Plus this will all heal in a few hours and then I’ll be good as new.”

“Right. That super soldier serum is no joke,” Bucky mumbles mostly to himself. “May I?”

Bucky guides Steve back to a sitting position and starts dabbing at his wounds. Steve focuses on Bucky rather than the gnawing pain and admires the adorable look of concentration on Bucky’s face as he cleans Steve up.

“Do you think the bullet’s out?” Bucky asks as he pauses, eyes narrowing as he examines the bullet wound. 

Steve straightens up and then feels over his side. “Yes, it looks like it just grazed me more than actually went in.”

The wound was already starting to heal, so it was hard to tell just from looking at it, but Bucky seems to take Steve’s word for it and and starts bandaging him up. Steve lets his eyes close as he relaxes into Bucky’s careful touch. 

When Bucky’s finished, he tells Steve as much in a calm, quiet voice. Steve cracks an eye open and peers at Bucky, a slow smile tugging at his lips. 

“Help me to bed?” Steve asks, feeling brave in his exhaustion.

“Sure,” Bucky agrees and then helps Steve stand with a strong, steady arm. 

Steve directs Bucky down the hall to his bedroom and lets Bucky help him ease down on his bed. Bucky stands there awkwardly hovering for a moment, hands stuffed into his pockets. 

“I think I should stay,” Bucky says as Steve settles under the covers. “You know, in case you have a concussion. I would hate to be responsible for Captain America dying in his sleep.”

“If you insist,” Steve says sleepily and then he pulls the covers back on the other side of the bed.

“Um. Don’t you have a guest room or something?” Bucky asks. 

“Nope,” Steve says. “And besides, if you really want to keep an eye on me, there’s no better place than right here.”

Steve pats the mattress, eyes barely open now and makes a soft, impatient noise when Bucky doesn’t immediately get in. 

“Fine,” Bucky acquiesces. “Can I borrow something to sleep in at least?”

“Help yourself,” Steve says, flailing an arm towards his dresser.

Steve must drift off because it feels like the next second when Bucky is finally sliding into bed next to him. Steve rolls to face him and gives Bucky a sleepy smile. Bucky smiles back at him and then rolls away from Steve. 

“Good night, Steve,” Bucky says and Steve rolls back over. 

“Good night, Buck,” Steve whispers back.

Steve’s never actually shared a bed with anyone before, and the novelty of it isn’t lost on him, even in his incredibly sleepy state. Steve thinks it’s definitely nice, but maybe that’s just because it’s Bucky he’s sharing his bed with.

** ~*~*~ **

Steve wakes up before Bucky the next morning, and he takes a self-indulgent moment to admire the soft way Bucky snores in his sleep and the warmth radiating from his body. Bucky stirs after a moment and cracks an eye open before Steve can think to fake being asleep. 

“You’re being creepy,” Bucky says. 

“Sorry,” Steve says, though he doesn’t really feel sorry. 

“How are you feeling?” Bucky says, stretching like a cat and the noise he makes as he does definitely does _ not _ go right to Steve’s dick.

“Good as new,” Steve says and sits up, Bucky moving to sit up as well.

“Let me see,” Bucky says, pulling back the covers and lifting Steve’s bandage to examine his wound, only to find the skin completely healed over, though still a little pink. “That’s incredible.”

“If you think that’s impressive, you should have seen me after I jumped out of an airplane without a parachute,” Steve says and Bucky glares at him.

“Anyone ever tell you you’re an idiot?” Bucky says and Steve barks out a laugh much too loud for the early hours of the morning. 

“Yes, in fact,” Steve says. “Jerk.”

“Punk,” Bucky says and, wait, was Bucky that close a moment ago?

It suddenly feels like all of the oxygen has been sucked from the room and replaced with static electricity. Bucky’s lips are mere centimeters from Steve’s and all his brain can think of is how much he wants to kiss Bucky, but there’s no justifiable reason to. 

Bucky’s eyes flick from Steve’s down to his lips and that’s a signal saying _ kiss me, dammit, _ if Steve’s ever seen one. 

So he does.

It’s soft and tentative at first, Steve not wanting to push Bucky in case he did actually misread the situation, but if the way Bucky completely melts into it is anything to go by, Steve thinks he’s actually right on target. 

Bucky pulls away for only a second so he can swing a leg over Steve’s middle, and oh yes, now he’s straddling Steve and Steve is 100% _ here for it. _

Bucky cups Steve’s face gently in his hands and watches him carefully before guiding their lips back together. It’s soft and sweet, and Steve can’t get past the thought that they’re doing this and they are completely alone, it’s not for show, it’s just for them.

Steve vaguely wonders if he should pause and ask Bucky if this is okay, if they should really be blurring the lines of their agreement like this. But at the same time, it feels so good that Steve can’t bear to stop. 

Their kiss starts to turn more frantic as Bucky swipes the tip of his tongue against Steve’s bottom lip and Steve eagerly welcomes Bucky’s tongue into his mouth. Bucky tilts his head ever so slightly and skillfully flicks his tongue against Steve’s, melting away any more reservations he had. 

Steve slides his hands down Bucky’s sides and teases his fingers under Bucky’s (Steve’s) t-shirt, the pads of his fingers tracing over the warm skin of Bucky’s waist. It’s all so glorious and Steve feels like he can stay in this moment forever. 

But then Bucky’s shifting and leaving a trail of kisses down Steve’s neck, a whispered, “I want to test something,” falling from his lips before he’s biting and sucking at Steve’s pulse point.

It takes Steve a moment to realize what Bucky’s trying to do, but when he catches up, he lifts a hand and buries it enthusiastically in Bucky’s curls, trying to encourage him to stay right where he is. 

Bucky takes almost a full minute worrying the skin of Steve’s neck between his teeth and lips. When he finally pulls away, the spot is throbbing and tingling pleasantly, and when Bucky teasingly blows a breath over it, Steve shivers bodily. 

“Huh,” Bucky says as he stares down at Steve’s neck, head cocked to the side. “I mean, it’s impressive, but slightly disappointing.”

Steve blinks up at Bucky and Bucky just grins at him before sliding back on top of his body. 

“I kind of hoped you’d be able to wear my mark for more than a few minutes,” Bucky whispers against Steve’s ear and as Bucky’s thigh brushes against Steve’s crotch, he arches up to look at Steve with raised eyebrows. “Well at least there’s one lasting effect.”

“S-sorry,” Steve says. “I can… I can go in the bathroom and…”

“Nonsense,” Bucky says, shaking his head and waving Steve off. “You’re not the only one.”

Bucky emphasizes his words by rolling his body down on Steve’s for just a moment, but it’s enough for Steve to feel how much Bucky is also affected by what they’re doing.

“Is it… can I…?” Steve asks, reaching for Bucky’s waist, but then pulling back and looking at Bucky with an unsure expression.

“If you’re asking if you can touch me, the answer is yes,” Bucky says, rolling his eyes, but grinning widely as he does.

Bucky sweeps down and kisses Steve breathless again, letting his body relax and drape over Steve’s. Steve had every intention of slipping his hand into Bucky’s pants the instant after he had given him his consent, but now he’s completely preoccupied with kissing Bucky as if his very life depends on it. 

The kissing slowly builds again, and all it takes is Bucky biting harshly into Steve’s bottom lip and pulling back to make Steve moan and finally dig his hands into Bucky’s waist with enough purpose to hopefully get his message across loud and clear.

“Fuck, okay, we’re doing this,” Bucky says and he’s giving Steve a desperate, pleading look like he’s asking for consent one last time before he takes this to a place they can’t come back from.

Steve nods and then in case that wasn’t clear enough, also rushes out, “Yes, God, yes, please.”

Bucky grins hugely again and then he’s sitting up enough to shimmy out of his clothes and Steve does the same, though a bit less gracefully. Bucky lays down and pulls Steve over onto his side so they can kiss again and let their hands roam over the freshly uncovered skin for a moment.

“I’m going to be completely honest, I don’t think I’m going to last very long,” Bucky admits quietly and Steve smiles, completely understanding because he’s definitely in the same boat.

“How about we just… do it like this,” Steve says and then he’s creating enough space between them so that he can wrap his larger hand around both of their cocks.

Bucky sighs and nods, pressing his forehead to Steve’s. It feels way better than it has any right to, but maybe that’s just because he’s doing this with Bucky and he has Bucky’s hot breath on his face, which again, should be kind of gross, but it’s Bucky so Steve likes it. A lot.

After a few moments, Bucky starts making these soft, broken noises and he grips into Steve’s bicep, leaving crescent shaped marks that will regrettably fade in a few seconds. Steve’s right there with him, right on the precipice of coming and all it takes is one last twist of his wrist as he squeezes on the up pull.

“Fuck, _ Steve,” _ Bucky moans as his body shivers through his orgasm and the beautiful sight of it sends Steve over the edge. 

The aftermath is a sticky, sweaty mess, but Bucky doesn’t seem to care as he rolls back on top of Steve and kisses him again, seemingly trying to chase after the last lingering vestiges of pleasure.

Steve basks in it for a moment until he’s unable to ignore the feeling of drying come anymore and he coaxes Bucky to slow down and slide down next to him. 

“Hi,” Steve says, admiring the blissful expression on Bucky’s face.

“Hi,” Bucky says back, a shadow of shyness on his face that Steve’s never seen before.

“That was…” Steve starts to say, but then is at a loss for words.

“Yeah,” Bucky says. “It was.”

Steve giggles, covering his mouth with his hand, but then he remembers it’s still pretty covered in their collective come and he grimaces. 

“I should get cleaned up,” Steve says as he sits up. “And I probably need to go in and debrief from my mission yesterday.”

“Oh, right,” Bucky says and Steve mentally kicks himself because this probably sounds like he’s trying to brush Bucky off.

“Hey,” Steve says, using his clean hand to reach out to Bucky. “Can we go to dinner later? Just the two of us?” 

“Sure,” Bucky says and smiles softly.

“I’ll text you with the details, okay?” Steve says and steals another kiss. 

“Okay,” Bucky says and Steve finally slips out of bed because if he doesn’t leave now, he might never.

Steve showers and gets ready for his day. When he heads back into his bedroom, Bucky is gone, not that he thought Bucky was going to stick around in his bed all day, but a guy could hope.

Steve texts Bucky that he will come pick him up for dinner at 7 and apologizes for not feeding him this morning (he’s very rusty at all of this).

Bucky doesn’t reply until much later, which definitely did _ not _ make Steve anxious all day, but he definitely feels a flood of panic when he reads Bucky’s text.

** _ I don’t think I can come tonight. I’m sorry Steve but I think we should put an end to our arrangement. _ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh no, you didn't want a cliff hanger and some angst? huh. my bad :)
> 
> The next chapter will be a little angsty, but I promise there will be a happy ending because I can't bear to have our boys apart and sad for too long!
> 
> please let me know what you thought about this chapter in the comments!
> 
> <3


	5. Chapter 5

For someone who has dealt with loss his entire life, Steve is not handling losing Bucky very well.

And, to be completely honest, he never really had Bucky in the first place.

Steve tries to think he’s become ~Well Adjusted~ to all of the new in this century, but he really can’t seem to get past the whole ‘break up in a text’ thing (if you can even call it that because they didn’t even have a real relationship).

Regardless, Steve does what any person with a broken heart does in this decade: he binges on ice cream while watching every sad movie on Netflix and wallowing in self pity. Steve’s not proud of it, but his heart hurts and making his stomach hurt with ten pints of Rocky Road seems to be the only way to distract himself.

Steve successfully spends a solid 36 hours on his couch avoiding the world outside of his apartment before his teammates start to get suspicious. Sam comes by first, pounding on his door and threatening to send Red Wing in through the window if Steve doesn’t give him some sort of sign of life. 

Steve begrudgingly answers the door and after exchanging a few pleasantries _ (“Steve, you look like hell”, “Thanks, that’s definitely the look I was going for”) _ Steve manages to get Sam to leave by giving a lame but not entirely untrue excuse that he’s still recovering from a tough mission.

Natasha comes next, and she’s not as easy to shake.

Steve wakes up from an unintentional nap with the eerie feeling that someone is watching him. Steve blinks a few times, trying to gather his bearings when he notices Natasha perched on the armrest opposite him.

“Woah, Nat, what the hell?” Steve splutters, sitting up and pulling his blanket over himself self-consciously, despite being fully dressed. 

“Sam’s worried about you,” Natasha says with a shrug. 

“Yeah, he came by already. How’d you even get in?” Steve asks, though he doesn’t really want to know the answer to that.

Natasha just smirks and slides down onto the couch cushion now that Steve’s sitting up. Steve narrows his eyes at her and she gives him a reproachful look, leaning in and sniffing him.

“You stink,” Natasha says. “And your hair…”

Natasha reaches out and plucks at one of the strands that’s inevitably standing straight up, all on it’s own. Steve flinches away and frowns at her, but that only makes Natasha cross her arms over her chest and give him a look that would make Sarah Rogers jealous.

“Now, Steve, I know what you told Sam about ‘recovering from a mission’ is a load of crap, so why don’t you tell me what’s actually going on,” Natasha says. “And remember who you’re talking to here. I have ways of getting the information I want. Make this easy and painless for yourself by just coming clean now.”

“Um, okay,” Steve says with a laborious sigh and scrubs his hand over his face. “Bucky and I… broke up.”

Natasha’s mouth gives the smallest flinch, but she doesn’t say anything, not yet. Steve sits in the quiet for a few moments, knowing this is all part of Natasha’s game, but after almost a solid minute, he caves.

Damn, she’s good. 

“The thing is, um. We weren’t even dating, not really. I was so tired of you and Pepper and Maria ragging on me for not dating anyone and always trying to set me up that Sam introduced me to a friend of his - Bucky. We set up a deal that we would pretend to date so I could get you all off my back,” Steve explains. “I… I was okay with it all, I mean, I liked Bucky and he was nice to look at, but I didn’t realize I had feelings for him until…”

Steve cuts himself off, voice getting choked up suddenly. This is the part that he hasn’t let himself think about, hasn’t allowed himself to process because it hurts. It was so stupid to let them go there, but Steve wanted it so bad, and Bucky had _ wanted it too, _ Steve just doesn’t understand how it all fell apart. 

“We sort of… hooked up,” Steve says as vaguely as he can. “We after we made plans to go to dinner, but later he texted me saying we should stop seeing each other and I haven’t heard from him since.”

Natasha is still watching Steve carefully, posture still and expression stoic. Steve narrows his eyes at her, trying to tell if he can see her breathing, but even that she does imperceptibly. 

“That’s, um. That’s it,” Steve says to try and prompt her. 

Natasha’s quiet for another moment before she nods and stands up, startling Steve. “Well, you’re not going to fix anything wasting away on the couch. Come on, up.”

Steve gawks at her for a moment too long so she reaches out and hauls him up with an impressively strong grip to his bicep. Natasha drags him down the hall to his bathroom and turns on the shower. 

Steve stands there awkwardly as Natasha tests the water and then turns to him, hands on her hips. Natasha raises her eyebrows as if to say _ ‘well?’. _

“I’m not getting naked in front of you,” Steve says. 

“Come on, Steve, don’t be a baby,” Natasha says, stepping into his space and reaching for his sweatshirt.

“Nat, no,” Steve says, flinching away. “I promise I can successfully take a shower on my own.”

Natasha shrugs and exits the bathroom and it takes a moment for Steve to realize that now he’s just let Natasha loose in his apartment and she’s definitely going to find at least four embarrassing things to hassle him about at the least opportune time. 

He really should have just let her stay and bathe him. That definitely would have been less painful.

Steve cleans himself quickly, only slightly disgusted with himself when he finds ice cream in his hair. He washes his body thoroughly, twice, and then wraps himself in a towel and exits the bathroom.

Natasha is waiting for him in his bedroom and she only gives a glance to the clothes she’s laid out for him and then leaves the room without a word. The outfit is one of his favorites, a soft, blue sweater and his comfiest slacks. He’s not entirely sure what Natasha has up her sleeve, but Steve figures it’s in his best interest to just go along with it and not ask any questions.

Once he’s dressed, Steve meets Natasha out in the kitchen where she’s adding the finishing touches to a sandwich that’s the size of Steve’s head. She sets it down in front of Steve as he sits at the counter.

“Here, eat,” Natasha says and then crosses her arms over her chest, watching him carefully as Steve starts to dig in.

It’s not until he’s swallowed the first bite that he realizes how much his body has missed real food. His stomach audibly growls and he basically turns into a ravenous animal for the next few minutes as he devours the whole plate. 

When all that’s left is a few crumbs, Natasha smirks and then clears his plate, only to replace it with some form of protein shake.

“We’re going to take this one to go,” Natasha says and then heads to the door.

Steve sighs and picks up his shake. He meets Natasha at the door and she hands him his keys and phone after Steve stuffs his feet into the shoes she’s set out for him. They make it to the elevator before Steve can’t take it anymore and finally asks.

“Um, Nat? Where are we going?” 

Natasha is quiet for a moment, the only sound in the small space is the soft ding of the elevator floors. Steve feels his pulse quicken, thinking he probably can guess what Natasha is planning, but he really wants her to say it out loud.

“We’re going to get your boy,” Natasha finally says, waiting until the elevator doors open for dramatic effect.

Steve follows after Natasha as she walks swiftly out of the apartment complex. Steve waits until they’re sitting in the car and pulling out onto the street to open his mouth again.

“I don't think he’s going to want to see me,” Steve says quietly.

“You’re wrong,” Natasha says.

“Nat, if he did, he wouldn’t have broken things off with me,” Steve says.

“Steve, I love you, but you’re such an idiot sometimes,” Natasha says, but doesn’t elaborate right away.

Steve sits with that comment for a few moments, frowning to himself. Why else would Bucky have told him he didn’t want to keep seeing each other other than he wasn’t feeling it anymore? 

“Did you ever think that maybe Bucky cut things off with you because he was starting to get feelings, too?” Natasha finally says.

“What? That doesn’t make any sense,” Steve says.

“Think about it,” Natasha says. “You told me your relationship was all part of a deal, right? It was fake. If Bucky started to catch feelings for you, he probably felt like it compromised your arrangement and it wouldn’t be fair to keep seeing you when it was starting to become real for him. When you two hooked up, which was really stupid, by the way, it blurred all the lines of your fake relationship and Bucky probably realized that he needed to end it before he got in any deeper.”

“Huh,” Steve says because it actually does make sense. 

“You need to tell Bucky how you feel. I know you probably just assumed that Bucky would get it because of what you did, but he doesn’t understand you like I do. People these days hook up all the time and it means nothing,” Natasha explains. 

“I know that, I’m not completely naive,” Steve grumbles.

“Yet, here we are,” Natasha says.

They drive in silence for a bit further, Steve trying to figure out what he’s going to say when he sees Bucky again. Part of him hopes that the right words will just come to him when he sees him.

Natasha pulls into a parking spot and Steve realizes they’re by Central Park. Natasha turns to him and smiles encouragingly.

“He’s going to meet you here in a few minutes,” Natasha says. 

“Thank you,” Steve says, not wanting to know how exactly she managed to make this happen.

“Steve,” Natasha says, taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry if I meddled too much in your personal life, and I’m sorry for doing it again now. I just want the best for you and I can tell that Bucky means a lot to you. You can do this.”

Steve smiles at Natasha and then leans over the center console to wrap her in a strong hug. When he pulls back, he glances out the window and sees Bucky walking by and then sitting down on a bench, making his heart rate immediately pick up.

“Go get him,” Natasha says and Steve nods before taking a deep breath and stepping out of the car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> who doesn't love a good cliff hanger?   
what... no one?  
huh. 
> 
> anyways, drop a prediction in the comments?
> 
> <3


	6. Chapter 6

“Hi,” Steve says as he sits down next to Bucky, unsure of the proper greeting here. 

Bucky smiles, though it seems a bit restrained. Steve doesn’t even know where to begin, and judging by the look on Bucky’s face, he doesn’t really either.

“Look, I’m not sure what all Natasha’s told you,” Steve says, he figures as good a place to start as any. “But I just wanted to talk to you. I think… I think there was a misunderstanding between us. If I’m going to be completely honest, I really like you. What happened between us… I hope you don’t think it was a mistake because I sure as hell don’t. I thought… I thought when we hooked up that it meant we were on the same page and wanted this to be something more, but then you told me you were out. I just… I want to know why.”

“You… you like me,” Bucky says dumbly, unable to meet Steve’s eyes.

“Yes,” Steve says, because what would be the point in denying it now.

“Well, fuck. I feel like an idiot,” Bucky says, laughing as he scrubs his hand over his face. 

Steve chuckles along good naturedly, but he really has no clue what is going on. Bucky settles after a few more seconds and then finally turns the full, disarming power of his gaze on Steve. 

“I thought it didn’t mean anything to you. I… I was in denial from the night we first met. I tried to ignore my feelings for you and I was doing okay with it until we hooked up. I knew when I left that I had to end it because it wasn’t fair and I felt horrible about it but I knew it was for the best. Then Natasha, terrifying woman, by the way, showed up at my apartment and told me to meet you here. She didn’t even out right threaten me, but I could just tell she’s the kind of person you don’t say no to,” Bucky explains.

“She is,” Steve agrees. “I’m sorry about that.”

“No, honestly… don’t be,” Bucky says, shaking his head. “If she hadn’t come… if she hadn’t come we probably would have never spoken again.”

The truth in that statement hits Steve like a ton of bricks and he sits there quietly for a moment letting it sink in. It cuts somewhere deep to think that he totally could have gone the rest of his life without seeing or talking to Bucky again because of his own stupidity. 

“Let’s not think about that,” Steve says bravely. “We’re here now and I want to fix this, I mean, if that’s what you want.”

“I do, yeah,” Bucky says and gives Steve a shy little smile. 

“Great! Um, I mean, yeah, that’s good,” Steve says. “God, I don’t even know what to say.”

Bucky smiles again, bigger this time and then he’s reaching over and taking Steve’s hand from where it’s fidgeting on his thigh. “It’s okay, Steve. I think the hard part’s over. Now we just have to figure out one simple thing.”

What’s that?” Steve asks, lacing his fingers with Bucky’s and letting his touch calm his racing heart.

Bucky bites his lip and just looks at Steve for a moment, gaze roaming his face before he asks, “Steve Rogers, do you want to be my boyfriend? For real this time?”

Steve can’t help the incredibly dorky way (he’s sure) his entire face lights up and the only thing he can think to do is to kiss Bucky full on the mouth. Bucky makes a surprised noise, but then he’s kissing Steve back, slow and sure. 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Bucky says, pulling back just enough to get the words out. 

Steve chuckles against Bucky’s lips, curling his free hand around the back of Bucky’s neck to hold him there until he’s had his fill. 

They probably would have continued sitting there making out on the bench forever if Natasha hadn’t (rudely) honked her horn a few minutes later. 

** ~*~*~ **

For someone who was pretty much resolved to spend their life alone, Steve was really taking to this whole ‘having a boyfriend’ thing. Steve would feel a whole lot more concerned about how fast he was falling for Bucky if he didn’t know that Bucky was also pretty much head over heels for him as well.

After their talk in the park, they’ve become much better about talking about their feelings and making sure they both are on the same page. It’s not exactly easy, but they’ve promised each other that they are going to make the effort because they deserve it and they really want to make this work.

As much as Steve wants to keep Bucky all to himself now that he really has him, he figures that isn’t realistic and sure enough, about a month later he’s invited to another party at The Tower. Bucky enthusiastically accepts the invitation when Steve asks him to come along.

Sam and Natasha are the only ones who know about Steve and Bucky’s true origin story and Steve intends to keep it that way. To everyone else’s knowledge, Steve and Bucky’s relationship has been smooth sailing since the beginning. 

What can he say, Steve’s a private guy. He doesn’t exactly need everyone to know that his relationship started off as a ruse and that Steve would be terrible at an undercover assignment because he ended up falling in love with the target of his mission. 

God, he’s in love with Bucky Barnes. 

They’re on the elevator ride up when Steve can’t hold it in anymore.

“Jarvis, can you pause the elevator for a moment?” Steve asks and the elevator stops between floors. 

“What are you doing?” Bucky asks and Steve can tell he feels suddenly anxious about being suspended rather high up in the air. 

“I just… I wanted to tell you that I love you,” Steve says. “I know it’s soon and everything, but I didn’t want to go through this whole probably obnoxious party and not have you know that.”

Bucky’s smile tells Steve everything he needs to know, but Bucky verbalizes it anyway. “I love you, too, you punk.”

Steve leans in and kisses Bucky, focused on not letting himself get carried away too much. When he pulls away, he asks Jarvis to start the elevator again and before they know it, the doors are opening up into the party. 

It’s a blur for most of the night, light conversations and jokes with his friends, but it all feels so much better with Bucky’s steadying and intoxicating presence right there beside him. 

As the night is winding down, Steve is sitting with Natasha and Sam, Bucky solid and firm against his side. They’re talking about some fundraiser at the VA next week when Steve notices their drinks are getting low.

“I’ll get us another round,” Steve says, patting Bucky’s knee as he gets up.

“I’ll help you,” Bucky says and they excuse themselves. 

“They really are perfect together,” Steve hears Natasha say before he takes Bucky’s hand and heads over to the bar.

As soon as Steve and Bucky are out of earshot, Sam turns to Natasha. 

“Pay up.”

“I helped get them back together, you know,” Natasha says, hands on her hips.

“Doesn’t matter. I’m still the one who got them together in the first place. A bet’s a bet,” Sam says, holding out his hand. 

“Fine,” Natasha says with an over-dramatic eye roll.

And that’s the story of how Sam Wilson won a bet to prove he is the best match-maker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! I hope you liked the wrap-up of this fic in all it's cheesy glory. 
> 
> spread some love in the comments or come say hi.
> 
> I would like to say this quarantine has been good for writing purposes, but instead the writing block has been really strong. If you have any prompts or ideas for new fics please send them my way! 
> 
> <3

**Author's Note:**

> here we go with another Stucky fic!
> 
> I was basically inspired by Destroyer, so that scene in the bar between Sebastian and Nicole's characters will be making an appearance next chapter, if you know what I'm talking about, get excited!
> 
> let me know what you think so far and if you have an predictions or encouraging words, it's always appreciated :)
> 
> <3


End file.
